Service instance indication for resource creation

Abstract

A method of operation of a network node implementing a network function, NF, service producer in a core network for providing accurate information related to the selected service instance in the NF service producer and to allow the NF service consumer, when detecting a restart of the service instance, to perform end user service restoration (e.g. restoring UE IP connectivity), and/or to clean up the resource is provided. The method comprises receiving at the NF service producer a request to create or update a resource via for example HTTP/REST signaling, the NF service producer selecting a service instance, where the resource is replicated, to create or update the requested resource and sending a response to the received request comprising a resource Uniform Resource Identifier, URI, of the created or updated resource by the second service instance and a service instance identifier identifying the selected service instance.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of operation of a network node implementing a network function, NF, service producer in a core network, the method comprising:
 receiving at a first service instance of the NF service producer a request message from an NF service consumer to update a resource; 
 selecting a second service instance of an NF service producer different than the first service instance to update the requested resource which is replicated in the second service instance; and 
 sending a response message to the received request to the NF service consumer wherein the response message comprises a Uniform Resource Identifier, URI, for the updated resource together with information associated with the selected second service instance. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selected second service instance is on another NF acting as a service producer for a same service. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , where in receiving a request to update a resource further comprises receiving an identifier of a requested service instance. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3  wherein the selected second service instance is different from the requested service instance. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein the request and response messages are based on hypertext transport protocol/REpresentational State Transfer, HTTP/REST. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information associated with the selected second service instance further comprises an identification of the selected second service instance. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  wherein the information associated with the selected second service instance further comprises a recovery time of the selected second service instance. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information further comprises information related to at least an overload information and a load information of the requested service instance or the selected second service instance. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the NF service producer of the first service instance and the NF service producer of the second service instance are each a Session Management Function, SMF, and the NF service consumer is an Access and Mobility Management Function, AMF, specified in the fifth generation Core network, 5GC. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the requested resource is a PDU session context resource. 
     
     
       11. A network node implementing a network function, NF, service producer in a core network of a cellular communications system, comprising:
 one or more processors; and 
 memory comprising instructions executable by the one or more processors whereby the network node is adapted to
 receive at a first service instance of the NF service producer a request message from an NF service consumer to update a resource; 
 select a second service instance of an NF service producer different than the first service instance to update the requested resource which is replicated in the second service instance; and 
 send a response message to the received request to the NF service consumer wherein the response message comprises a Uniform Resource Identifier, URI, for the updated resource together with information associated with the selected second service instance. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The Network node implementing the network function, NF, service producer of  claim 11 , wherein the NF Service producer is a Session Management Function, SMF, specified in the fifth generation Core network, 5GC. 
     
     
       13. A method of operation of a network node implementing a network function, NF, service consumer in a core network, comprising:
 sending to a first service instance of an NF service producer a request message to create or update a resource; 
 receiving a response message comprising a Uniform Resource Identifier, URI, of the created or updated resource at a second service instance of the NF service producer and a service instance identifier identifying the second service instance, wherein the first service instance and the second service instance are different service instances; and 
 in response to receiving the response message and prior to sending or receiving any resource related message subsequent to the response message, associating the created or updated resource with the second service instance instead of the first service instance. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13  further comprising sending subsequent resource related messages to the second service instance of the NF service producer. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the request and the response messages are based on hypertext transport protocol/REpresentational State Transfer, HTTP/REST. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the response message further comprises information related to at least an overload information and a load information of the first service instance and/or the second service instance. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the NF service producer of the first service instance and the NF service producer of the second service instance are each a Session Management Function, SMF, and the NF service consumer is an Access and Mobility Management Function, AMF, specified in the fifth generation Core network, 5GC.